U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,694 issued to K. T. Nordstrom discloses a vehicle anti-roll over mechanism wherein an accelerometer or other force detector operates an electric motor for a reversible hydraulic pump. The pump is arranged in a hydraulic circuit that includes one horizontally-acting fluid cylinder and two vertically-acting fluid cylinders. During a vehicle turn maneuver on an unbanked surface the accelerometer responds to centrifugal force in a transverse direction, thereby operating the pump in the direction that will cause one of the vertically-acting fluid cylinders to raise the associated area of the vehicle (at the outer side of the turn), and the other vertically-acting fluid cylinder to lower the associated area of the vehicle (at the inner side of the turn). The vehicle thus assumes a banked attitude.
The present invention is to provide a vehicle anti-roll mechanism that is somewhat simpler than prior art devices, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,694. More particularly, it is desired to provide a mechanism that does not require a pump and associated pump controls. Another object is to provide a mechanism having a response force related to the centrifugal (distrubance) force; i.e. the greater the disturbance force the greater will be the counteracting response force.
The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.